Given the frenzy in India over the beloved 'Bhai' of Bollywood, and how Bodyguard, Ek The Tiger, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Sultan saw the box office soaring, Race 3 is also expected to follow on similar lines and continue to keep the cash registers churning.

Hoping to capitalize on the winning streak of Salman Khan during an Eid release, Race 3 has hit the box office with full fervour. It is one of the widest releases Bollywood has ever seen with an approximate of 4,200 screens booked. With Salman Khan and Ramesh Taurani financing the film, Remo D'souza roped in as the director, and keeping in mind the previous movies in the Race series, Race 3 is expected to become an all out commercial entertainer. Along with Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem are also part of the ensemble.

Given the frenzy in India over the beloved 'Bhai' of Bollywood, and how Bodyguard, Ek The Tiger, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Sultan saw the box office soaring, Race 3 is also expected to follow on similar lines and continue to keep the cash registers churning. Race 3 has already bagged Rs 130 crore for satellite rights, mentioned a report in DNA. BookMyShow, a popular online ticket booking app, indicated that advance bookings of the Khan starrer are rising.

Though official figures are yet to be released, industry experts have already come out with estimates. Most trade analysts expect Race 3 to collect Rs 30 crore to Rs 35 crore on the opening day leading to more than Rs 100 crore on the opening weekend. Keeping in mind Salman Khan's last movie Tubelight, the star also needs a hit this time around.

With the astounding international successes of Aamir Khan's Dangal, PK, and Secret Superstar, Bollywood is persistently eyeing to capture markets abroad, and Race 3 is following suit. In a Hindustan Times report, analyst Atul Mohan says that a few years back India used to be allotted around 150 screens in USA and around 50-75 in UK, but that figure has almost doubled now. In conclusion he added, "Hindi movies are looking beyond the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. New areas like Malaysia, Singapore, and European countries like Germany and Norway are fetching really good money now." So, in addition to the India business, Race 3 is expected to rake in the moolah from the overseas markets.

However, despite much zest, not everyone is enthusiastic about the film. Taran Adarsh, a popular movie critic and business analyst tweeted, "Race 3 rests on Salman's brawny shoulders. Eid holidays + brand value attached to the film are huge plusses. But the biggest of films need a strong foundation [content] to stand tall. Unfortunately, Race3 lacks that power!"

As reviews pour in, critics do not seem to think much of Race 3, in terms of performance and plot. Most of them, however, agree that the movie is totally owned by Salman Khan. Moreover, if you are a Bhai fan then there is perhaps nothing stopping you from watching Race 3 this Eid season.

So, will the movie cross or even near Rs 100 crore in the first weekend? Mostly, yes. Will the movie be sustained in the memory of the audiences? Perhaps not for the right reasons.